Product details
- Label Capricorn Records
- Artist Wet Willie
- Format 1LP
- Country United States
- Released Date 1974
- Genre Blues
- Sealed No
- Media Condition Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Sleeve Condition Very Good Plus (VG+)
Do you have questions about this product?
Condition: Used
Media Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Sleeve Condition: Very Good Plus (VG+)
Condition Notes:
Label stamped with record shop stamp.
Writing on the back of the cover.
Still a VG+ copy
Keep On Smilin' by Wet Willie.
Released in 1974 on Capricorn Records, this is the album that lifted Wet Willie out of the Southern club circuit and onto the national stage. Recorded under the guidance of legendary producer Tom Dowd — the same ears behind so many defining soul and rock sessions of the era — it captures a Macon-adjacent band at the peak of their swagger. Even the pressing tells a story: copies bearing the "SXT" runout etch were struck at Columbia's Terre Haute plant from stampers cut in Santa Maria, a small piece of production lineage that collectors love to trace.
Musically, this is Southern rock with a serious R&B pulse. Jimmy Hall fronts it all with a voice that shouts and croons in equal measure, doubling on alto saxophone and harmonica to give the band its bluesy bite. Brother Jack Hall anchors the low end on bass, Lewis Ross drives the groove on drums and percussion, and Richard Hirsch's lead guitar snakes through with real fire. Behind them, the Willieittes — Donna Hall and Ella Avery — lend gospel-warmed backing vocals that turn choruses into celebrations.
Play it and you'll understand why the record endures: it's loose, joyful, and built for volume, the sound of a working band that finally caught lightning. A cornerstone Capricorn pressing and an essential entry in any Southern rock collection.
Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Country Side Of Life
A2. Keep On Smilin'
A3. Trust In The Lord
A4. Soul Sister
A5. Alabama
B1. Lucy Was In Trouble
B2. Soul Jones
B3. Don't Wait Too Long
B4. Spanish Moss
B5. In Our Hearts (Instrumental)
Credits:
Richard Mantel - Art Direction, Design
Joyce Knight - Backing Vocals [Additional]
Donna Hall - Backing Vocals [The Willietttes]
Ella Avery - Backing Vocals [The Willietttes]
Jack Hall - Bass, Banjo, Backing Vocals
Jeanne Sasaki - Coordinator [Album Coordination, for AGI]
Lewis Ross - Drums, Percussion
Ovie Sparks - Engineer
Sam Whiteside - Engineer
Tony Humphreys - Engineer
John Anthony (16) - Keyboards, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Richard Hirsch - Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jimmy Hall - Lead Vocals, Alto Saxophone, Harmonica, Percussion
Phil Walden & Associates, Inc. - Management [By Special Arrangement With]
Al Clayton (2) - Photography By
Tom Dowd - Producer
Notes:
[l=Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Terre Haute] pressing from stampers supplied by [l=Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria], per "SXT" etch in runouts.
Produced by Tom Dowd for Capricorn Records, Inc., By Special Arrangement With Phil Walden & Associates.
Artist: Wet Willie
Format: 1LP
Genre: Blues
Label: Capricorn Records
Catalog Number: CP 0128
Release Year: 1974
Country: United States
Frequently Asked Guestions
The condition of our vintage records varies, and we do our best to clearly state the condition of each record in its description. We rate them as 'Mint', 'Near Mint', 'Very Good', 'Good', or 'Fair', following the Goldmine Standard.
We understand the importance of ensuring our products reach you in the same condition they left us. Each record is packed using professional record mailers with additional padding. We also remove the record from its sleeve to prevent seam splits during transit.
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